Remembering 9/11

Terrorism is a form of disaster that we need to be aware of. Here is a couple pictures from my trip to New York just after September 11, 2001.

Out with the old/In with the new...it's back to school...here's what to do!

One of the best tips I share with my CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) class members is to recycle item they already own. Minimise spending money, but still get you and your family prepared. As your children, grandchildren, neighbors, kids in church, nieces and nephews head back to school and we buy new school supplies, do not throw away the old backpacks. Take the old backpacks and use them as "GO" bags for your family.
Another tip for your back to school shopping is take advantage of school supplies being on sale and include these items in your families disaster supplies. (notebook, pens, markers, index cards) all of these things can be used for documentation and triage tags.

Jay says: "What do I put in my "GO" bag?"

I am often asked when teaching disaster preparedness... "What do I need to pack and for how long?" The standard teaching use to say 72 hours. In recent years, that 72hours was pushed to 5 days...today I am of the mindset of 1 week/ 7 days. Plan on having supplies for your family to survive 7 days.
The main item for survival is clean, potable drinking water. The equation to use is 1Gx1Px1D...(1 gallon per person per day) Below is a link to click on to print a PDF file from the U.S. Government that is a great guide to get started, but by no means is this list the end-all.

http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/checklist.pdf

Good luck, but more important...good preparedness.

A message from Barack Obama regarding Gustav and first responders

Today, the thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with those in the path of Hurricane Gustav -- and many of you are asking what you can do to help. We do not yet know what the impact of Hurricane Gustav will be, and we hope with all our hearts that the damage will not be as great as it was three years ago. But we know there will be damage, and there is something you can do right now. Your financial support will strengthen organizations like the American Red Cross that are evacuating Gulf Coast residents and planning to help communities get back on their feet. Make a donation to support the American Red Cross today. At times like this, it is our compassion and resilience that define who we are as a nation. Please give whatever you can afford, even $10, to make sure the American Red Cross has the resources to help those in the path of this storm: https://donate.barackobama.com/redcross Thank you for your generosity, and I hope you will join Michelle and me in praying for the safety of those in the path of the storm and the first responders who are doing all they can to ensure the safety of their communities.
Barack